I finally have a chance to share one of my new healthy lifestyle goals: improving my diet. This is another reason I’ve been away from the computer so much recently, since it’s been time-consuming finding new recipes, shopping at natural supermarkets, and prepping all this fresh food and making recipes from scratch.
Let me preface this by saying (and please don’t hate me!), I’ve never had to watch my weight so I’ve never worried too much about diet. I’m on the underweight side for my height and my primary doctor says I have fantastic cholesterol levels, so I’ve never felt too guilty about indulging. Now it appears that I may have an endocrine disorder causing a hormone imbalance, so my latest attempt at trying to conceive includes a more careful diet. One of the hallmarks of this disorder is that I may be insulin resistant and should avoid foods that cause a spike in blood sugar, so I have resolved to eat less refined sugars and carbs.
Basically, the core of my new diet plan involves eating around the glycemic index. Secondly, since my hormones appear to be out of whack, I’m reducing the level of animal products in my diet and what I do buy is organic and free of hormone/antibiotics when I can afford it. I still don’t like eating sugar substitutes, so it’s especially challenging going low-carb since so many recipes require some sort of fake sweetener to reduce the carb count.
What it comes down to is eating fresh, cooking most of our food from scratch myself, and eating a lot more veggies, legumes, and nuts. I’ve been loosely following the South Beach diet for the low carb aspect, and have cut out most carbs besides veggies for the first 2 weeks. I’m trying to get rid of my cravings for sugars but it’s definitely hard!
I hope I can accomplish this without going crazy and/or bankrupt from grocery shopping 
Organic and free-range stuff is crazy expensive! My husband has been a good sport and has willingly tried the new foods I’ve been introducing – tempeh, veggie burgers, turkey burgers, lentils, etc. Some of the recipes have been really good and others have been colossal flops (the coconut curry tempeh with eggplant was gross and I ended up feeding half of it to the dog).
Are any of you following a popular diet plan? Do you have suggestions for how I can save money on organic food?
You can follow along and see my healthy low carb dinner plans every week by reading my Menu Plan Monday posts.
15 Days Left 
9 Days Left 
Contest Closed 
Last Day! 
Contest Closed 
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
When I was reading up a while ago on organic product it was interesting to me that there are a lot of fruits and vegetables that aren’t necessarily better for you if they’re organic. Because they’re naturally free of pests and require less pesticides, etc.
This site has a good list of foods that are okay to buy non-organic: http://greenopolis.com/myopolis/blogs/aresende/what-you-should-shouldnt-buy-organic
That might save you some money because you won’t have to buy them organic!
Trish recently posted..Hello, Linky Followers
Thanks for that link. After my first trip to the organic section in the grocery store, where I learned that each produce item is $4-5 on average, I did some research and learned about the dirty dozen and clean 15. Now I’ll prioritize based on that to save some money.
Rachel recently posted..Tone Up Tuesday: My New Healthy Eating Plan
I usually only buy the organic produce if it’s listed on the Dirty Dozen list. It’s hard to spend $6 for a pint of strawberries that will only last one day when. Good for you for being in tune with your body and making improvements.
Sarah BB recently posted..My Most Meaningful Moment
I love glycemic index – have been following it for years. One of my goals this year was to master dirty dozen and clean dozen. I think it’s a good start
Lena – @elenka29 recently posted..Accessory Connectz Review
Do you feel like it’s made a difference with your energy level/overall health?
Rachel recently posted..Tone Up Tuesday: My New Healthy Eating Plan
Oh, definitely
Lena – @elenka29 recently posted..Wordless Wednesday
We tend to follow the “Dirty Dozen” list for veggies. If they’re on the list, we buy organic, if not, we don’t worry about it. Also, if you have a farmer’s market you can save by shopping there! Most local farmers may not be certified organic, but use little to no chemicals.
April H recently posted..Vegan Sausage Etoufee
We do have a farmer’s market every Thursday. I just moved to a new town so I hope it’s good, but since we’re in a pretty rural area I’m sure there will be lots of fresh stuff.
Rachel recently posted..Tone Up Tuesday: My New Healthy Eating Plan
I also use the dirty dozen list. I have never heard of this eating plan before, thanks for sharing.
Ashleigh Walls recently posted..My Clock Is Always At Eight O’Clock For Coffee; Review
I combined several different diet plans, plus my own goal of switching to organic meat and dairy when possible
Rachel recently posted..Tone Up Tuesday: My New Healthy Eating Plan
My best tip is to grow it yourself! Even if you have NO yard, you can grow a pot of tomatoes or strawberries on your porch. We grow a ton of stuff, and swap once or twice a summer with some friends who grow different produce. It’s amazingly healthier, cheaper, and tastes SO much better!
Meagan P – Sunshine and Sippy Cups recently posted..Simple Solution: Affordable Natural Care for Baby
I REALLY want to start gardening and we have an acre lot, so there’s plenty of room. Unfortunately I’m a notorious plant killer, so I was thinking of maybe starting with something easier like tomatoes.
Rachel recently posted..Tone Up Tuesday: My New Healthy Eating Plan
I was going to mention the dirty dozen too. I also agree w/the farmers market. We also just had a moms group here where I live do a fruits/veggie swap from what you grow in your yard…
good luck! in the end it will all be worth it… today is the first day of Lent and I have given up soda. I drink so much I am also interested to see how I feel!
ps..love lentils and rice
susie My SoCaL Life recently posted..♥ Wordless Wednesday with Linky ♥ #WW
Sorry the tempeh was a bust.
I was going to suggest using the Dirty Dozen list too and then I saw other people already commented about that. Eating in season helps a lot too, although in Florida, I imagine you can get pretty much anything almost year-round? Oh, and the thing with farmers markets is that sometimes the smaller farmers can’t afford to go through the process of being certified organic when they *are* still using organic farming practices. Many of them will have signs saying “no spray” or “pesticide-free” instead.
Can you eat stevia on your diet? I did a review for NuNaturals and in general, I hate non-sugar sweeteners (unless it’s honey or agave), but I didn’t mind this brand of stevia. LMK if you’re interested and I can forward you their info.
Longest comment ever! Anyway, good luck with your eating plan. It can be hard to change how you eat, but I think after a few months, you start forgetting what you’re missing.
ohkeeka [The Type A Housewife] recently posted..Garden Update | All About Spring Seed Starting
The tempeh that I bought was already seasoned/prepared so I’m giving it one more try today. I’m making a fresh marinade and will grill it this time – hoping we’ll like it better since I noticed that it provides nearly half the daily requirement for protein and fiber!
I did check out the farmer’s market and even though they didn’t advertise as organic, the vendor I bought from said they didn’t use any pesticides and were slightly cheaper so thanks for the tip!
And since I’m not on a specific diet plan, I make up my own rules as I go along
I’m just not sure how I feel about artificial sweeteners. I know stevia is made from a plant so it’s not as bad as aspartame, but I still feel wary.
Rachel recently posted..Spring Fashionista Lookbook Giveaway: $279 Earrings
I’ve done South Beach before with pretty good luck. My husband loses more when we try to follow it than I do (although I have more of a sweet tooth so that comes into play) but I like that it encourages me to eat more produce than I might otherwise eat. It sounds like you’re off to a great start with your healthy eating plan!
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom recently posted..Wordless Wednesday – Flowers Make Me Happy
We’ve been eating way more veggies since I started the diet, and it’s been fun trying out new stuff that we wouldn’t normally eat. Doesn’t it always seem like guys have an easier time losing weight? Not fair
Rachel recently posted..Spring Fashionista Lookbook Giveaway: $279 Earrings
If you can, try to grow as much organic food on your own as possible. It is rewarding when you know exactly what involved growing your own fruits and veggies. Example, when you buy green onions, cut off the tops, and throw the bulbs in a glass of cold water. Set it in the window sill and change the water every so often. You will have your own free onions in no time. The tops will grow back time and time again.
Angela Michels
I would love to transition to growing my own produce, but I have a black thumb. I’m going to start small with maybe some tomatoes and see how that goes before I invest too much money. Thank you for the tip about green onions, that sounds easy enough! I have some green onions in the fridge right now too!
Rachel recently posted..Friday Fitness Goals Recap 2/24: My Best Run Yet! #10k #Running
I just started up my diet and workout again. Life keeps getting in the way and I don’t have time to workout, but I am determined to keep it up this time.
Good luck Jessica! Are you following any certain diet or workout plan?
Rachel recently posted..Spring Fashionista Lookbook Giveaway: $279 Earrings
I follow a really strict 200 calorie a meal/ 6 meals a day diet with an hour or more of cardio. It sounds extreme, but it’s the only thing that has worked for me in the past. I don’t like to take it slow or I get unmotivated.
Wow, that must require a lot of discipline! Keep me updated on how it goes.
Rachel recently posted..Spring Fashionista Lookbook Giveaway: $279 Earrings
It’s not bad once you get on a schedule. I’ve been doing it pretty well for about 6 weeks now. I don’t even have a scale which is forcing me to notice changes instead on focusing on the weight number. It’s kind of refreshing.
You know I started eating foods that were made through organic farming and healthier foods instead of all that processed junk, and it really helped me lose weight. I took out junk food like chips, cookies, and cakes. Then I just ate meals that I had made from scratch from organic foods. I still ate the same amount, but lost alot of weight and felt alot better.